Suction cup holder



Dec. 1, 1959 w. J. RUTTGER SUCTION CUP HOLDER Filed Jan. 24, 1957 IN V EN TOR. WILLIAM J. RUTTGER A [TOR/YE) United States Patent SUCTION CUP HOLDER William J. Ruttger, Deerwood, Minn.

Application January 24, 1957, Serial No. 636,041 a 4 Claims. (Cl. 248-206) This invention relates generally to suction cup holders and pertains more particularly to a holder of this type possessing especial utility in the support of a pencil sharpener.

Largely for the sake of convenience it is most desirable that pencil sharpeners be rendered mobile in nature so that they may be moved to various locations within easy reach of their respective users. Certain problems have attended the effective accomplishment of this aim. For instance, not only should the pencil sharpener be readily attachable and detachable to a given surface, but when mounted to such a surface it should not become inadvertently dislodged during its use. On the other hand, intentional removal or detachment of the sharpener should be effected in a facile fashion when it is found necessary or expedient to change its location from one place to another.

Accordingly, one important object of the invention is to provide a holder particularly suited for anchoring pencil sharpeners in a desired position, yet permitting the pencil sharpener to be quickly and easily moved to a diiferent location when circumstances so dictate. More specifically, it is Within the contemplation of the invention to avoid the use of any mechanical attaching or interfitting means and instead to employ valved suction cups that will allow the realization of a good vacuum seal g 2,915,271 Patented Dec. 1, 1959 line 2-2 of Figure 1., theview depicting the pencil sharpener in side elevation and one of the valved suction cup assemblies in section. 1 I I Referring now in detail to the drawing, the pencil sharpener selected to exemplify the invention has been designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 10 and my holder therefor by the numeral 12. The pencil sharpener 10 is of conventional construction and com prises an upright or standard 14 to which is removably attached an oval-shaped housing 16. The housing 16 encloses a rotary cutter head (not visible) which is manually actuated by a crank arm 18 and connected handle 20. An opening 22 permits the tip of a pencil that is to be sharpened to be inserted into engagement with the cutter head. "Further included as a part of the sharpener 10 is a flange .24 integral with the upright 14. As shown, the flange 24 is formed with only one anchoring aperture, but it will be appreciated that any number of such apertures may be utilized.

The holder 12 comprises an elongated strip or plate 26 to which the sharpener 10 is secured by a screw extending through the anchoring aperture mentioned above and a similar aperture in said strip .to clamp the strip in a horizontal position that is parallel to the vertical plane in which the crank arm 18 is constrained to rotate. The strip 26 is further provided with an aperture .28 adjacent each end (Figure 2). A tubular member or sleeve .30 extends through each aperture 28, the tubular members 30 being externally threaded throughout their upper por'; tions as designated by the numeral 32 and carrying a resilient disc or wafer 34 at their lower ends. The disc against a planar surface for the retention of the holder firmly thereagainst, yet which cups will permit said vacuum seal to be readily broken in order to release the holder.

.Another object of the present invention is to provide a holder for pencil sharpeners that will resist dislodgment due to cranking forces and also from extraneous impacts and knocks.

Another object of the invention is to produce a holder of the foregoing character that can be fabricated and assembled quite inexpensively. Regarding minimization of production costs, it may be explained that it is Within the purview of the invention to utilize a threaded tube that coacts both in the attainment of a breakable seal and in the manner of permanently attaching the suction cup to the holder structure. More precisely, it is planned that a tube formed with externally cut threads have a valve cap threaded to its upper end and that a nut mem ber applied to a portion or continuation of these threads be utilized in drawing the individual suction cup tightly against said holder structure during assembly.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of my holder shown supporting a pencil sharpener, and

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken in the direction of 34 may be of rubber orother relatively soft material and is permanently aflixed to the lowerv extremity of each member 30 as depicted in Figure 2.

Each tubular member 30 has an -intermediate collar portion passing through .a resilient rubber suction cup 36, the two suction cups being centrally apertured for the accommodation of the tubular members. Thus, it is believed apparent that the disc 34 is intended to bear against the central undersideof the suction cup in each instance. By means of a nut element 3.8, which may be tightened against the upperside of the strip 26, the suction cup 36 may be pulled tightly against. the lower side of said strip 26 during assembly, somewhat compressing that portion of the suction cup residing between the disc 34 and the strip 26. In this way the two pictured suction cups are fixedly retained in relation to the strip 26.

Owing to the tubular construction of the members 30 they each possess a passage 40 extending completely therethrough. It is these passages 40 that are utilized for breaking the vacuum seal when it is desired to release the holder 12 from a given fiat surface. First though, it is to be explained that a pair of valve caps 42, each containing a compressible gasket 44, serve to maintain the vacuum seal until these caps 42 have at least been partially removed.

From the foregoing description it is believed that the use of my holder 12 will be readily comprehended. With the valve caps 42 applied to the threaded ends of the tubular members 30, the suction cups 36 may be pressed against practically any smooth flat surface. The application pressure will expel any entrapped air and a vacuum seal will thereby result. Preservation of this seal will be enhanced if the suction cups 36 are first moistened on their undersides. With thev suction cups 36 so gripping the flat surface and by virtue-of the disposition of one suction cup 36 at each end of the strip 26 it will be understood that any tendency for the pencil sharpener 1!) to he rocked while being cranked will be minimized. Thus, the presence of two suction cups 36 oriented as shown relative to the plane in which the crank arm 18 rotates steadies the strip and materially lessens any like- 3 lihood of the suction'cups 36 being tilted sufliciently to dislodge same as would be the case if only a single cup 36 were utilized.

. When it is desired to relocate the sharpener 10, all that the user need do is'to loosen the caps 42 sufliciently so that air will enter via the passagm 40. With the vacuum destroyed the cups 36 relinquish immediately their respective grips and there is nothing to prevent moving the sharpener together with its attached holder 12 to a new location. Such action can be accomplished with little inconvenience and efiort, thereby encouraging widespread acceptance and use of my holder.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodimentsof the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention. herein described and all statements of the scope of the. invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a pencil sharpener having a crank element rotatable in a vertical plane, a holder for supporting said pencil sharpener comprising a horizontal elongated strip, ,means fixedly connected to said pencil sharpener and to said strip, said strip extending in a di rection parallel to said vertical plane and held in said parallel direction by said connecting means, said strip having an aperture at each end thereof, a pair of resilient suction cups having centrally formed apertures registrable with the apertures of said strip, a tubular member extending upwardly through each suction cup aperture and one of said strip apertures, said tubular members having externally threaded upper portions, means anchoring the lower end of each tubular member to its associated cup member, a nut element threadedly engaging the threaded portion of each tubular member to pull the suction .cups in the direction vof said strip, and a cap member also engaging each threaded portion to seal the upper ends of said tubular members.

2. In combination, an elongated strip having an aperture at each end thereof, a pencil sharpener having a crank element rotatable in a: vertical plane at one side and a downwardly projecting base, clamping means extending through said base and through an intermediate portion of said strip thereby to anchor said base in a transverse relation with the longitudinal axis of said base 'so that said crank element rotates in a vertical plane offset from said strip, a pair of resilient suction cups having centrally formed apertures registrable with the apertures of said strip, a tubular member extending upwardly through each suction cup aperture and one of said strip apertures, said tubular members having externally threaded upper portions, means anchoring the lower end of each tubular member to its associated cup member, a nut element threadedly engaging the threaded portion of each tubular member to pull the suction cups in the direction of said strip, and threaded cap means at the upper endsof said tubular members for sealing same.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which said second-mentionedv anchoring means includes a resilient disc affixed to the lower end of each tubular member, said resilient discs being of greater diameter than the suction cup apertures so as to prevent passage of the lower tubular ends therethrough.

4. A combined pencil sharpener and support therefor comprising a pencil sharpener having a transverse cutter head, crank means connected to said cutter head and rotatable in a vertical plane, an integral base beneath said sharpener, an elongated rectangular strip, means fixedly connecting the base to the strip intermediate the ends of said strip with said vertical plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the strips and ofiset from one side of said strip, and a downwardly facing resilient suction cup at each end of said strip.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,104,515 Golden Ian. 4, 1938 2,615,426 Fryer Oct. 23, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 860,147 France Sept. 24, 1940 

